Factsheet
Developer:
Vlambeer
Based in Australia
Release date:
October 11 2013
Website:
nuclearthrone.com
Available From:
$11.99 - Steam
$11.99 - GOG.com
Description
Nuclear Throne is a post-apocalyptic roguelike-like top-down shooter. Not 'the final hope of humanity' post-apocalyptic, but 'humanity is extinct and mutants and monsters now roam the world' post-apocalyptic. Fight your way through the wastelands with powerful weaponry, collecting radiation to mutate some new limbs and abilities. All these things and more you could do if only you were good at this game. Can you reach the Nuclear Throne?
History
Wasteland Kings
Since the launch of Ridiculous Fishing in January 2013, the two of us at Vlambeer have been working with a team of four talented collaborators on pushing our abilities to make arcade games with great game feel. Nuclear Throne originated as a game jam prototype from the Humble MOJAM livestream in March 2013, but went on the backburner until October due to the launch of LUFTRAUSERS. It was originally known under the name 'Wasteland Kings', a title that was changed after InXile Entertainment politely asked for a name change. The new title 'Nuclear Throne' was announced at Eurogamer Expo 2013.
Performative development
In October 2013, Nuclear Throne launched in Steam Early Access for PC platforms as it went into full development. The game was created in the open, livestreaming development each Tuesday and Thursday, a process we would later call 'performative development', with weekly updates to the game coming out every weekend. Since, Nuclear Throne has had almost 100 updates, launched on Mac OSX and Linux, sold over 150.000 copies, introduced both Daily and the concept of Weekly challenges, and became the first game to ever be available for sale through Twitch subscriptions. Nuclear Throne has benefited tremendously from two years of Early Access and garnered an amazing community of people who are -and feel like- a tangible part of the development of the game. On New Year's Eve 2014, every owner of Nuclear Throne received a free gift copy of the game to give to a friend - which, at that time, meant a giveaway of almost 70.000 copies
Cumulative Vlambeer
To the team, Nuclear Throne very much feels like a combination of everything we've learned during earlier projects. Nuclear Throne retains the 'deal with randomness' gameplay of Super Crate Box, has the background lore and progression we learned during Ridiculous Fishing, and the customisation from LUFTRAUSERS. While we took lessons from each, we've worked to make sure Nuclear Throne remains as elegant as a Vlambeer game is expected to be. For Nuclear Throne, our goal was to make a game that would still be fun to play for us as developers, and creating a roguelike-like ensured that even to us, even three years after development started, the game can be surprising. After 3 years of developing Nuclear Throne with weekly updates and livestreams, for a community that has created challenges, update videos, given feedback and streamed the game, the release of Nuclear Throne feels like an oddly bittersweet moment.
Features
- Pick from 12 playable characters including a mutant fish, the triangular yung venuz or a headless chicken.
- Battle to the throne through seven playable main worlds and procedurally generated levels. Discover a huge amount of secret worlds and challenges.
- Mutate your character in almost 30 different ways using radioactive waste around the world and get inventive in your combat strategies.
- Use a range of over 100 weapons, from the familiar machine-gun and shotgun to the slightly alternative screwdriver and quintuple-barreled rocketlaucher.
- Participate in the Daily challenges or prove your skills in the all-new Weekly challenges, which are available each weekend.
- It’s dangerous to go it alone - get together with a friend and battle your way to the Nuclear Throne with local co-op.
- Art by Super Crate Box's Paul "Pietepiet" Veer, music by LUFTRAUSERS' Jukio "KOZILEK" Kallio and SFX by Downwell's Joonas Turner. Concept art by Nuclear Throne's Justin Chan.
Videos
Gameplay Trailer YouTube
Two years of early access YouTube
Images
Logo & Icon
Selected Articles
- "Strip away all the punkish ingenuity piled on Nuclear Throne and you're left with this: a skin-fidgeting, hair-tingling battle of textures. Hard meets sticky. Bang meets squelch."
- Christian Donlan, Eurogamer - "It’s a rapid-fire, deliciously crunchy randomized romp starring a cavalcade of characters from Vlambeer’s past."
- Nathan Grayson, Rock, Paper, Shotgun - "It’s an anarchic thrash of a roguelike where everything goes boom or splat—or, more frequently, boom and splat."
- Chris Schilling, PC Gamer
Monetization Permission
Vlambeer allows for the contents of Nuclear Throne to be published through video broadcasting services for any commercial or non-commercial purposes. Monetization of videos created containing assets from Nuclear Throne is legally & explicitly allowed by Vlambeer. This permission can be found in writing at https://www.indiedb.com/games/nuclear-throne/presskit.
Additional Links
Original Soundtrack (MOJAM version)
The OST for the Mojam version of Nuclear Throne is available at kozilek.bandcamp.com/album/wasteland-kings-official-soundtrack.
About Vlambeer
Boilerplate
Dutch students-gone-independent gamestudio, bringing arcade back since 1937. We made Super Crate Box and Radical Fishing.
More information
More information on Vlambeer, our logo & relevant media are available here.
Nuclear Throne Credits
Jan Willem Nijman
Design & development, Vlambeer
Paul Veer
Artist, Freelancer
Jukio 'KOZILEK' Kallio
Music
Justin Chan
Promotional Art
Rami Ismail
Production & development, Vlambeer
Contact
Inquiries
rami@vlambeer.com
Twitter
twitter.com/Vlambeer
Facebook
facebook.com/Vlambeer
Twitter
twitter.com/vlambeer
Web
vlambeer.com
presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks